Why You Should Consider Taking the December LSAT

Law school admission is a big deal, and you don’t want anything to blow your chances of getting in. Many prospective law students wonder about the December LSAT since it edges uncomfortably close to admission deadlines.

Will taking the December LSAT hurt your chances of getting into law school? Not at all - and here’s why you should actually consider taking it!

Published October 30, 2017

First things first: Will taking the December LSAT hurt my chances of admission?

Nope! Taking the LSAT in December is perfectly acceptable for applying for fall admission. While the September LSAT certainly allows you to get your application in sooner, experts state that submitting your application after December can still put you in the first half of submissions for the semester.

Law schools used to be a lot more picky pre-2010, when applicants were pouring in by the thousands. Now that applications have slowed down, law schools are more lenient about LSAT timelines.

Whether you take the LSAT in September or December, your chances of admission should be the same. That means if you’re unhappy with your September score, you should definitely take it again in December.

Why you should consider taking the December LSAT

Your LSAT score holds the most weight over your admission chances. While the other application components DO matter, your LSAT score simply has the final say. It might not seem fair when you worked so hard for your GPA, but them’s the breaks.

Because it holds so much influence over your admission chances, your biggest concern should be getting the highest score possible. For many prospective law students, this means it’s a good idea to take both the September AND December LSAT (unless you’re very happy with your September score).

If you have to choose one, it may be in your best interest to choose December - it will give you more time to study and prepare properly. But I’m just a voice on the Internet. Above anything else, do what you feel will make you most successful.

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